Zazen is not step-by-step meditation. Rather it is simply the easy and pleasant practice of a Buddha, the realization of the Buddha's Wisdom.

The first noble truth of the Buddha is that life contains suffering. The second noble truth is that the cause of suffering is craving.

The rising and falling of the abdomen is not the main object. The main object is to develop mindfulness, concentration, and insight.

Every sensation shares the same characteristic - arising, passing. Arising, passing. Learn to observe objectively.

Only one book is worth reading: the heart.

The purpose of our lives is to be happy, and happiness is found in benefiting others.

Rather than letting our negativity get the better of us, we could acknowledge that right now we feel like a piece of shit and not be squeamish about taking a good look.

The more you meditate, the more you understand yourself and the better friend you become to yourself.

Recognize the emptiness of all phenomena, but do not become attached to emptiness itself.

True happiness is not found through the multiplication of desires but through their simplification.

To study the Way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be enlightened by all things.

To what shall I compare this life? It is like a boat that left at dawn, leaving no trace.

The more we witness our emotional reactions and understand how they work, the easier it is to refrain.

The problem is not the problem; the problem is your attitude about the problem.

Insight knowledge comes from direct experience, not from intellectual understanding.

Short moments, many times. That is the essence of meditation practice.

Be happy at the moment, that's enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.

The biggest prison is the one we build in our own mind.

Not by hatred is hatred conquered, but by love alone. This is an eternal law.

Kindness is the solution to all of life's problems.

Mindfulness is the key to the present moment. Without it we cannot see the world clearly, and we cannot make the wisest choices in our lives.

The cultivation of loving-kindness has the power to transform enmity into amity, hostility into hospitality.

The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else's highlight reel.

Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness.

The secret of happiness lies not in getting what we want, but in learning to want what we already have.

The past is just a memory. The future is just a dream. Be here now.

The way to change the world is to change your own mind.

In the moment of love, awareness is very strong. Use that awareness, that strength of consciousness, to look into yourself.

Leave your front door and your back door open. Allow your thoughts to come and go. Just don't serve them tea.

Observe the reality as it is, not as you wish it to be.

The practice of vipassana is the study of the self. When you study physical and mental phenomena, you are studying the truth about yourself.

Craving and aversion are the roots of suffering. Observe them with equanimity.

The silence between the notes is as important as the notes themselves.